During a speech at a factory in Ohio on Monday, President Trump called Democratic Congressmen "un-American" for failing to cheer enthusiastically during the State of the Union address last week. He even suggested that their behavior was "treasonous."
"You're up there, you've got half the room going totally crazy, wild, they love everything, they want to do something great for our country," said Trump, referring to his Republican supporters in Congress. "And you have the other side, even on positive news, really positive news… they were like death, and un-American."
Someone in the factory audience apparently called out "treasonous," which prompted Trump to respond, "Yeah, I guess, why not." Again, that was Trump casually affirming the idea that his political opponents had committed treason in failing to applaud him.
But treason has a specific definition: it involves levying war against the United States, or giving aid and comfort to its enemies. "Aid and comfort" means actually helping a declared enemy of the United States—by sending them money, leaking sensitive information to them, etc. Merely signaling dissent from, or disapproval of, the current commander-in-chief is not treason; if it was, members of the out-of-power political party would have no real means of challenging the president's agenda. Thankfully, the First Amendment guarantees everybody the right to criticize the government and its chief executive.
Trump's statement about treason echoes his previous comments in support of jailing flag burners and broadening the scope of libel laws. Rhetorically speaking, the president is no friend to free speech—he would clearly like to criminalize all kinds of anti-Trump political expression. Fortunately, Trump has not attempted to actualize his stated preference for censorship, and if he did, the Supreme Court would stop him.
In any case, Trump really shouldn't be too eager to broaden the public's definition of the word treason. Many on the left have accused Trump himself of treason because his campaign allegedly colluded with elements of the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Under the strict definition of treason, this doesn't count, since the U.S. remains formally at peace with Russia. The strict definition is vastly superior to the "yeah, I guess, why not" definition nonchalantly endorsed by Trump in his remarks today, even for the sake of Trump's own political interests.
#1: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#0)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-06 06:42:47 Reply Private Reply
#2: Deckard To: A K A Stone (#1)
What about the treasonous Republicans? Don't you want to kill them too?
Deckard posted on 2018-02-06 08:38:34 Reply Private Reply
#3: VxH To: A K A Stone (#1)
Aye - send 'em all off to the gulag for reeducation until they can demonstrably articulate the fundamental principles of America's ideological founders.
(D)rumpf would fail that test.
VxH posted on 2018-02-06 10:13:56 Reply Private Reply
#4: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#2)
Who said anything about kill? You're making stuff up now.
Just the Democrats for starters.
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-06 11:55:58 Reply Private Reply
#5: Jameson To: Deckard (#0)
Kim Jong Un is pleased
Jameson posted on 2018-02-06 11:57:54 Reply Private Reply
#6: A K A Stone To: Jameson (#5)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-06 12:01:16 Reply Private Reply
#7: Jameson To: A K A Stone (#6)
Oh really - care to support your argument with facts and not strictly your rather narrow-minded opinion?
I'm 100% certain that if any member of congress, the president, the vice president or any of their staff actually committed a treasonous act, they would be publicly prosecuted.
Jameson posted on 2018-02-06 12:07:00 Reply Private Reply
#8: A K A Stone To: Jameson (#7)
We are being invaded and they all held up the wall.
They are all hired hitmen and women who put hits out on innocent kids.
They all steal.
There is a ton of stuff. Are you stipid?
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-06 12:10:20 Reply Private Reply
#9: A K A Stone To: Jameson (#7)
You're 100 percent slow on the take..
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-06 12:11:38 Reply Private Reply
#10: Jameson To: A K A Stone (#8)
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court." - Further - "(1807), the Supreme Court ruled that "there must be an actual assembling of men, for the treasonable purpose, to constitute a levying of war."
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-CONAN-REV-2014/content-detail.html
There is a ton of stuff.......
no, there's not.
Are you stipid?
Classic
Jameson posted on 2018-02-06 12:20:10 Reply Private Reply
#11: Jameson To: All (#10)
There will never be a wall, it is simply a pointless exercise in futility that would cost the US taxpayers Billions of dollars.
Mexico is not going to pay for anything - that was another lie that was swallowed the purposely ignorant and gullible.
Jameson posted on 2018-02-06 12:27:37 Reply Private Reply
#12: A K A Stone To: Deckard, Fairy Jameson, (#0)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-06 17:36:59 Reply Private Reply
#13: Jameson To: A K A Stone (#12)
Yeah, in North Korea and Putin's Russia - it is treasonous to not rally behind the dear leader...
SH45 lives to be just like his fantasy boys...
this is your fault
Jameson posted on 2018-02-06 18:59:02 Reply Private Reply
#14: A K A Stone To: Jameson (#13)
Except that isn't exactly what Trump the great said.
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-06 19:40:38 Reply Private Reply
#15: VxH To: A K A Stone, Jameson (#14)
EHRLICHMAN: Hot Pants.
DRUMPF: "Nya why not"
NIXON: Jeezuz Ch[CENSORED]
===============================
The performance in that video (Msg #12) reiterates the pattern of being a thuggish clown who is unable to demonstrably articulate a worldview founded in fundamental American ideological precepts.
He and Rocket-boy have that in common, too.
VxH posted on 2018-02-06 21:13:29 Reply Private Reply
#16: A K A Stone To: VxH (#15)
Trump doesn't hate Jews and catho!ics and ......,........................
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-07 02:39:33 Reply Private Reply
#17: VxH To: A K A Stone (#16)
In Jail.
Is she?
VxH posted on 2018-02-07 12:01:20 Reply Private Reply
#18: A K A Stone To: VxH (#17)
Hitler is dead and will never be our president.
After Trump if he was eligible Benjamin Netanyahu would make a good president. To bad he is ineligible huh?
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-07 12:08:21 Reply Private Reply
#19: VxH To: A K A Stone (#18)
Oh I know that.
The fact she isn't makes it clear (D)rumpf is full of dramatic campaign Bullshyte.
Crowd: "Lock her up, lock her up"
(D)rumpf: "Shh, that was just for show during the campaign"
VxH posted on 2018-02-07 12:24:49 Reply Private Reply
#20: A K A Stone To: VxH (#19)
You know investigations happen in secret right?
So she may be or may not be. Time will tell.
Yes I wish she would be too. There is also politics involved. THere are assholes in this country who actually don't support Trump. If he goes after Hillary there are political consequences.
Trump is doing a great job. You seem like someone who is incapable of being satisfied politically.
Maybe you're just satisfied with butchy women who change tires and work on engines.
A K A Stone posted on 2018-02-07 12:37:25 Reply Private Reply
#21: VxH To: A K A Stone (#20)
"Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Israel are the most advanced in the Middle East, and one of the most advanced in Asia. Although same-sex sexual activity was legalized in 1988, the former law against sodomy had not been enforced since a court decision of 1963."
en.wikipedia.org/w iki/LGBT_rights_in_Israel
1963. That about the same time ol' Herbie Marcuse and his [redacted] cohorts were getting things cooking in the "New" Left's sexual revolution?
VxH posted on 2018-02-07 12:52:15 Reply Private Reply
#22: VxH To: A K A Stone (#20)
I know (D)rumpf's promotion of the Dyke in command of the USAFA to General didn't happen in secret.
Nor did the FAKE hate crime that transpired on her/his/its watch -- the FAKE hate crime for which General Silvawhatizname stood 5000 cadets at attention and ordered them to "Accept Diversity" or "GET OUT".
Turns out the Cadets were falsely accused.
https://www.google.co m/#q=USAFA+FAKE+Hate+Crime
Oops!
Anybody going to own that 1 + 3 star cluster frack and apologize to the 5000+ wrongfully accused?
Evidently not:
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/01/18/president- trump-congratulates-log-cabin-republicans-40th-anniversary/
But then that wasn't a secret either, really...
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ivanka+LGBT
...for anybody who's been watching what the CIrCus clown train DOES instead of listening to what it says.
VxH posted on 2018-02-07 19:53:14 Reply Private Reply